Power Anomaly
by Grimm48
Summary: Stephen Jameson is pulled through the vortex with the founders machine which disintegrates and he is thrown into the Heroes universe. Pairing : Stephen x Claire
1. Prologue

Power Anomaly

* * *

disclaimer: I don't own The tomorrow people or Heroes

Summary: Stephen Jameson is pulled through the vortex with the founders machine which disintegrates and he is thrown into the Heroes universe.

Pairing : Stephen x Claire

* * *

Shortly after the founder's machine went off and froze every human inside and in the near vicinity of Ultra, Stephen arrives in the room containing the machine.

He uses his telekinesis to stop the machine, but it only slows down the spreading of the field, after a minute or so of trying to stop the machine he finally succeeds but the founder caught up to him and blasts him with his telekinesis telling him "enough of this nonsense." And causing Stepeh to fly against the equipment behind him.

"It cannot be stopped, not anymore than evolution can be stopped. Don't you understand Stephen that human extinction is inevitable. That rather than thousands of years of slow decay and obsolescence, this will all be over in a blink of an eye, now what could be more human than that?" The founder asks him while he's using his telekinesis to shatter the frozen human guarding the room.

"You killed him." Stephen says shocked, because his kind is not able to kill without being experimented on.

"He was never alive. I'm offering youyour rightful place as the planet's apex species." The founder offers him.

"You killed my father." Stephen replies pissed and charges at him but the founder stops him with his telekinesis, causing Stephen to fall into a defensive position, trying to push back against the founders superior telekinesis.

"It was your uncle, a human that killed your father." The founder replies and liftst Stephen into the air. Stephen returns the favor by using his own telekinesis to pull the founder up by his feet and then slams him into the ground. The founder reacts quickly and teleports behind Stephen, who then tries to punch the founder, but he stops his punches with his telekinesis and conters the assault with a telekinetic shove, making Stephen fly against a beam.

"You are no match for me and you're certainly no match for your father." The founder tell him.

"What?" Stephen asks confused.

"Don't you get it yet Stephen? Your father's powers are the machine! A home without humanity, a refuge. That is your father's legacy." The founder tells him.

"No." Stephen disagrees and starts to attack the founder again and gets one punch in before being thrown back by his telekinesis.

"This is the future and we are already living in it powerful little boy and even one as special as you can't hope to turn the clock backwards." The founder rants, standing over Stephen.

Stephen gets up and uses his telekinesis to throw the founder off balance and behind him, against a wall, before reaching up to the core of the machine and trying to stop it. But instead of a struggle against the machine he feels its powers get transferred into himself and the machine stops, opening a portal to limbo behind the machine as well.

Stephen reaches to the founder and uses his new powers to teleport the founder into his chokehold, before turning him to the portal and pushes him in saying "I'm my father's legacy."

The portal then starts to consume the founder's machine part by part and Stephen feeling a pull coming from the portal goes in as well, wishing that now that he's not reachable anymore the world will be save from someone continuing the founder's work. After the portal closes behind himself Stephen finds himself in Limbo, just like before when he visited his father and sees his father sitting in an old memory again.

* * *

"Dad?" Stephen asks surprised.

"Stephen, how did you get here?" His father asks concerned.

"I did it dad, I stopped the founder." Stephen replies proudly.

"That's great son, I knew you could do it, but why are you here?" Roger asks.

"I don't know, I got these new powers and was able to open a portal to limbo. I pushed the founder in here and went in feeling something calling for me and took the machine with me. I hope that now that we are gone, the world is save from anyone freezing the humans any time soon." Stephen says.

"I hope so too, but what are you going to do now? I think that because you can control the Limbo to some degree you could exit it to your will, as long as your physical form is intact." Roger informs his son.

"Sounds like a great idea, maybe I'll get Cara and mom and Luca and just hide somewhere away from the general population, I'm sure there is some kind of Island not used yet." Stephen replies.

"Son, I can't say this for certain, but I don't think it'll be that simple. The Limbo is a dimension which might not exclusively be connected to our world, so you might come out in another dimension." Roger says.

"What? What am I gonna do now?" Stephen asks shocked.

"I think you should take your chance and if you get out in another dimension make your best of it. It's important that you don't come back into Limbo if you can avoid it. Being here must take an immense toll on your body." Roger says.

"What? How can I just accept that I'm never getting back, even though I might have a chance, however small it is." Stephen yells outraged.

"Stephen, if our understanding is true then there is an unlimited number of dimensions out there. You can't possibly get back into the right one." Roger explains.

"So what? I have to start over again in a world I know nothing about and have no one I know?" Stephen asks.

"Sadly yes. Listen son, I know this seems scary and unfair, but it could be a blessing in disguise, you still have your whole future ahead of yourself don't waste that on trying to get back to a world that might have forgotten you by the time you get there. Now go Son, I think being in Limbo is getting dangerous for you now and never forget, I love you son." Roger says seeing Stephen's clothes start to waste away.

"I love you too dad, but I can't promise that I'll never try to meet you again or get back to my old live." Stephen says and creates a portal, hoping it'd lead back to his earth and steps through.

* * *

After coming out of the portal Stephen looks around curiously and sees that he's in a dry area and came out at an abandoned refinery, which are basically a few rusted metal constructions by now.

"Well, I might not be in New York anymore, but I could still be in the same dimension." Stephen says starting to walk towards where he guesses is a town, based on the tire tracks leading away from the refinery.

"I better get to a computer fast and see if I can find my mother or anyone online." Stephen murmurs to himself thinking about how he should approach his situation.

After half an hour or so of walking through the desert area he arrives in the Texas town Odessa.

'Hmm Texas huh? Well let's try to find the Library.' Stephen thinks and then uses his telepathy on someone he just passed to peek into his memories, looking for the location of the library.

'got it.' Stephen thinks to himself and heads to the towns library.

After 20 minutes he reaches the library and heads inside, going over to a computer and sees that they have to be close to ten years old.

'maybe they are just cheap here.' Stephen thinks but is fearing the worst, that he's in another dimension.

Sitting down at a computer he opens up the desktop and sees in the bottom right corner that it's the 8th May 2006.

Looking at the date shocked Stephen gets up and leaves the Library and finds an ally, where he slumps down against the wall of a building, feeling helpless and not knowing what to do next.

"Fuck, how am I even gonna survive in this place? I don't exist here. How am I ever gonna get a life when I don't exist in any database or documentation." Stephen curses, shoving away some dirt with his telekinesis violently.

* * *

After close to an hour of sulking and being angry at the universes screwing with him he calms down and gets an idea 'I guess I should try to pull of being an amnesiac. I mean I really don't know anything about this world and anything I could say about my old lie won't be true here anyway, so this might work.

Stephen then looks around town, looking for the police station. Walking in he goes over to the first officer he sees and looks around confused, rambling on about where he is and how he got here and who he is.

After a few minutes of his rambling along with Stephen trying to influence him telepathically, which worked to his surprise he then gets taken to the hospital by an officer and they perform test on him, coming to the conclusion that there is nothing physically wrong with him, but that his amnesia might be because of an emotional trauma or something and tell them that they should keep him at the hospital for now.

* * *

Over the next two days Stephen fakes being an amnesiac only remembering his name and age and gets some new documentation on that name and not being an adult, he gets put into foster care and has to come in to the hospital every now and then and is supposed to be enrolled in school for the next semester.

Over the next 4 month Stephen has gotten himself a job at a coffeeshop and found a small apartment for rent and after telling the owner about his memory loss and his situation he rents it for a reduced price. He still has to check in with the foster care system every few weeks but since he's 16 already there is not much hope of getting adopted and Stephen has shown that he's able to take care of himself.

* * *

AN: I know the whole getting his identity might not be realistic but since he can influence people's thoughts and I needed a place to start from this seems like a good approach, anyway review and follow if you like it.


	2. Episode1

Power Anomaly

Stephen has been living in Odessa rather unnoticed for a few months now. He has also joined school during that time, where he quickly fit in with the 'freaks' as they were called by the popular kids.

But even in that group he didn't make any close friends yet, since he's still getting used to this dimension and getting over the fact that in all likelihood he won't see his family or any of the tomorrow people ever again.

One day he's taking a nap at the refinery, which he's been visiting ever since he's arrived in this dimension and gets woken out of his slumber by a thought he hears telepathically "why can't I just die?" the voice asks herself. Getting up and looking down from the building he was sleeping on he sees a blonde girl about 2 years younger than him and a dark-haired guy he recognizes his name is Zach.

The girl is wearing a cheerleading uniform, belonging to the same school he's going to.

'Hmm I wonder what they're doing out here and whose thoughts did I just read? I thought I was the only one going to this place other than the occasional rave.' Stephen thinks watching the girl run up the stairs, leading to a bridge about 70 feet of the ground.

"Camera ready?" the girl asks.

"Yeah almost, hold on. This is like 70-80 feet this is so unreal." Zach replies.

"OK, I'm good." The girl yells, having climbed over the railing and hanging on it.

"OK." Zach yells up and the girl lets go of the railing plummeting to the ground screaming.

"Crap." Stephen curses and tries to catch her with his telekinesis, but she's fallen down too far already for him to catch her.

Zach, still filming everything runs over to her panicking, until she gets up with one arm in a weird position until she pops it back in with a crunch. She then turns to the camera and says, "This is Claire Bennet, that was attempt number 6."

"Alright, I got it. But I think there is someone else up there." Zach tells her and looks up to where Stephen is peeking over the edge of the building he's on.

'Looks like there are people with powers here as well but that didn't look like any of the T's.' Stephen thinks, looking down at them.

"Hey Zach, how's it hanging." Stephen says jokingly and starts to make his way down to them.

"You know him? Who is that? Did you tell him to spy on us here?" Claire asks Zach suspiciously.

"What, no that's Stephen. He's the amnesiac kid that joined school a few month back. He often hangs around here, I thought you knew that." Zach replies.

"How should I know that, I didn't even know his name." Claire hisses quietly since Stephen has almost reached them.

"Hey Stephen, what're you doing here?" Zach asks him when Stephen reaches them.

"As usual, thinking about stuff, at least until I heard you guys and saw blondie regenerate inhumanly fast. By the way you have a few ribs sticking out." Stephen replies, pointing at the ribs sticking out of Claire's left side.

"Hey, my name's Claire not blondie." Claire replies annoyedly while she pushes in the two rips which pierced her skin.

"Alright, well nice to meet you. I'm guessing you want to keep what I just saw a secret?" Stephen asks.

"No, I want to be a freakshow. Now what do you want to keep quiet?" Claire replies sarcastically.

"Hey, calm down. I don't want anything." Stephen says feeling her fear.

"Hmpf, we'll see everybody wants something sooner or later." Claire replies, starting to walk and lead them back to town.

"Man she's got a temper, doesn't she?" Stephen says jokingly, turning to Zach.

"You don't know the half of it." Zach replies, and the two guys go after her, catching up in a few seconds.

"So, anyway I haven't introduced myself yet." Stephen starts to say, turning to Claire.

"Stephen, the amnesiac boy, Zach just told me about you." Claire says uninterested in striking up a conversation with him.

"amnesiac boy huh? Guess we'd make a pretty cool superhero team then, amnesiac boy and regeneration girl." Stephen replies laughing, causing Claire to lose her glare for a second and grin at the joke.

"You wish, as if I'd ever want a useless sidekick like you." Claire then says trying to make Stephen back off on the subject or stop talking to her at all if possible.

"So, why is princess being so mean?" Stephen taunts her.

"Leave me alone, I'm just depressed." Claire replies.

"What why? I mean other that I'm so grossed out I almost fudged myself, this is the single coolest thing that happened to this town in like a hundred years." Zach says looking over the video again.

"Not if nobody finds out it's not." Claire reminds him.

"Then why did you want me to tape it?" Zach asks confused.

"I have my reasons." Claire replies.

"It's not like you're not gonna be popular anymore." Zach says.

"Popular? Who said anything about being popular? My live as I know it is over OK? I've got the bishop game next week, sat's in October homecoming is in three weeks from today and I'm a freakshow." Claire says saddened.

"You're being a little dramatic don't you think?" Zach asks unlocking his bike.

"No, I don't think! I have busted like every bone in my body, stabbed myself in my chest. Rammed a two-foot steel rod in my neck and I don't have a scratch on me." Claire yells.

"Claire, I'm sure you'll figure it out eventually." Stephen tries to reassure her, knowing what being different is like first hand.

"Just give me the tape OK?" Claire says expectantly, and Zach gets out the tape, handing it to her.

Claire starts to leave and Zach offers "Hey, I can give you a ride on my handle bars if you want."

"Look, thanks OK. I'll talk to you in front of people at school tomorrow, promise." Claire says saddened and tired before walking off.

Stephen follows her asking "Hey, is it cool if I walk with you?"

"No not really." Claire replies annoyed, while thinking 'what does he want?'

Stephen hears her thought and decides that since he knows her secret she can know his too, not like she can actually prove his to others anyway.

'I already told you, I don't want anything other than to talk.' Stephen tells her telepathically.

"What the?" Claire asks looking at him shocked.

"What? Surprised you're not the only special one around princess?" Stephen asks smirking.

"Can you heal like me too?" Claire asks hopeful.

"No, but I've got other gifts." Stephen replies.

"great, still doesn't help me with my problem." Claire says disappointed that he can't help her.

"Hey, just because I don't heal doesn't mean getting used to being different was any easier than it's for you." Stephen tells her annoyed that she's so self-centered.

"I guess you have a point. So did you mean it when you said it get's easier?" Claire asks.

"Sure, once you get used to what makes you different you can actually enjoy it from time to time." Stephen replies.

"how am I gonna enjoy healing? I still feel the pain every time I hurt myself." Claire asks expectantly.

"I don't know are you into extreme sports? Point is, give it time. I'm sure you'll find an outlet making you glad you have your powers." Stephen tells her.

"I hope you're right, cuz if this is how I'll feel for the rest of my life my future looks pretty bleak." Claire says dejectedly.

Claire and Stephen then come across a trainwreck, which is still burning. the firemen are busy trying to extinguish the flames and Claire ducks under the barricade, running towards the fire.

"Claire, what are you doing?" Stephen asks following her to the burning wagon but waiting outside because of the heat coming from the flames.

"Claire, what is the point of this?" Stephen yells.

"Go away, I have to know if I can end this." Claire shouts back.

"Stop, this is not the way." Stephen tells her and teleports over to her, grabbing hold of her while holding back a falling beam telekinetically and then teleports them out of the wagon.

"What just happened?" Claire asks looking around confused.

'Like I said, I have a few gifts myself.' Stephen says telepathically while he's coughing because of the smoke he inhaled.

"there is still somebody in there." Claire says, looking into another wagon and runs in, getting the man out and bringing him to the firemen. One of the firemen puts out the fire burning on her clothes and sees that she has no burns. Claire, panics and runs away when the man's attention is on the man she pulled out of the fire.

* * *

Meanwhile Stephen saw all this and picks up Claire's bagpack which she threw down to help the guy in the burning wagon and teleports away, a bit down the road Claire has taken off to.

"So, still think I'd be a lame sidekick?" Stephen asks her smiling, while he hands her the bag and takes off his Jacket, putting it around her, since the fire has damaged her cheerleading clothes quite a bit.

"Guess not." Claire replies timidly.

"Do you think they'll recognize me?" Claire asks realizing the danger she put herself in.

"I don't know but if they do, just tell them you were with me, if your reputation allows that." Stephen replies.

"Thanks and I don't care about that. I just wish I could lead a normal live." Claire replies.

"Look, I know it's hard and will probably be for a while but like I told you, things will get better." Stephen tells her hugging her.

"Thank you. So what is your story? Do you really have amnesia?" Claire asks him.

"No, but it's a better story than the truth." Stephen answers.

"Which is?" Claire inquires.

"Alright, but never tell anyone about this OK? I'm not from this dimension. I stopped a madman from killing humanity by throwing him and me into a portal leading to Limbo, the place between death and life. I was able to get out of there but I now am stranded on this earth." Stephen explains sadly.

"So you have no one?" Claire asks.

"No. My family and the few friends I had are all still back in the other dimension, hopefully alive." Stephen says.

"I'm sorry, that has to be hard." Claire says.

"Yeah, well at least I have one new friend now." Stephen says cheering up a bit and putting his arm around Claire, leading her away from the wreckage.

"So what can you do?" Claire asks.

"Hmm let's see, I have telepathy, telekinesis, teleportation and time stopping and appearantly I can mix all of them but that takes a lot out of me right now." Stephen tells her.

"Wow, must be cool having some powers with actual use." Claire says enviously.

"Well not all of them are good all the time. For example I woke up to you thinking why can't I just die. Hearing things like this doesn't feel very good." Stephen says.

"I see, well anyway I better get home, or my parents are gonna freak." Claire says and tries to walk off.

"Wait, let me accompany you. You might need my services, or do you want your family to see you in that?" Stephen asks her pointing at her cheerleading outfit, which has bloodstains, dirt and scorch marks all over it.

"Alright, but don't think anything of it and you don't get to meet my parents." Claire warns him.

"You have my word." Stephen replies, and she leads them to her house, where Stephen uses his powers to open her window telepathically and teleport her in her room.

"Thanks." Claire whispers from her window before closing it.

'I hope he can be trusted. He'd make a great friend if he wasn't just pretending, that he's handsome is also a nice addition.' Claire thinks but Stephen overhears her.

'I think You're good looking yourself.' Stephen tells her telepathically, heading home while Claire curses herself that she forgot about his telepathy.

"Well that was an eventful day, but it's good to know that there is someone out there with gifts as well." Stephen says

* * *

later that day

during dinner Claire tells her mother and brother that she walked thorugh fire but her mother plays it off as a metaphor while her brother just thinks she's weird, making Claire think that talking to her family is useless and the only people who'll believe her are Zach and Stephen.


	3. Episode 2,3

Power Anomaly

|Bennet house – next morning|

"Dad, mind if I talk to you about something?" Claire asks her father while she's sitting at the kitchen table and he's preparing some breakfast.

"Pregnant? Doing drugs?" Noah Bennet asks jokingly while he pours her a glass of orange juice.

"What? No." Claire replies amused.

"Actually, I already know what it's about." Noah tells her.

"You do?" Claire questions.

"About knowing who you are your mother told me you've been asking to meet your birth parents." Noah replies.

"I think it's time that I knew." Claire tells him.

"I have a few questions first, the first of which is why now?" Noah asks.

"Just wondering, that's all. You know what they're like, what they can do?" Claire replies.

"What they can do?" Noah asks knowing about her powers since he's an agent for the company who deals with superhumans.

"Yeah like hobby's and skills." Claire mumbles.

"You know, I don't mean this to be condescending, even though you're gonna say I'm condescending but I really do believe that this is an adult decision." Noah tells her.

"You're right that is condescending." Claire agrees.

"There are gonna be issues, you're gonna have issues, they are gonna have issues it's very complex emotionally." Noah tells her.

"Yeah well so am I." Claire replies taking the toast he offers her.

"Here is my advice, keep things light and fun as long as you can. Like Cheerleading." Noah tells her.

"Being a Cheerleader is hard work, hard traitorous work." Claire says.

"Of course, it is. Hey, I just don't want you to be in such a hurry to wake up OK? Trust me I actually know a few things." Noah tells her before she leaves for school.

* * *

|school- by the lockers|

Claire is talking to a football player who is flirting with her while another Cheerleader is trying to get his attention when Zach and Stephen walk over to their lockers, Zach actually running in a hurry while Stephen is more relaxed.

"It's actually not about having big hands most guys hands are too rough insensitive. Feel how soft they are." The football player tells Claire, taking her hand in his.

"Wow." Claire says half joking.

"You've got dainty hands." The football player tells her, playing with Claire's smaller hands.

"My mom says I've got dainty hands, maybe I should try out for the football team." The other Cheerleader cuts in.

"Claire, may I borrow your ear for just a moment." Zach asks her after he got his stuff from the locker, pulling her a few steps aside.

"Hey Zach, is it true you got an erection in the boys' locker room?" The other Cheerleader taunts him making Zach fake a grin at her while Stephen walks up to them saying "I bet even you would seeing this up close." to the Cheerleader while pulling up his shirt, showing her his toned abdomen and chest, making her scowl at the insult and Claire grin.

"Not now." Claire tells Zach, who is trying to tell her something urgent.

Their principal then comes up to the two girls saying "Claire, Jackie the sheriff and fireman would like to have a word with you two." And leads them to the other Cheerleaders and the sheriff asks them to line up, which they do he then says "girls, this isn't a criminal investigation, nobody here is in any kind of trouble. Quite the contrary, there just happens to be a very grateful man in the hospital who would like to thank one of you for saving his life yesterday."

"I've never seen someone so reluctant to be called a hero, are you sure it was one of our Cheerleaders?" The principal asks the fireman.

"The uniform said Union wells High. I'd have to say it was her on the end." The fireman says pointing at Claire.

"That's Claire Bennet." The principal tells them.

"Claire where did you go after Cheerleading practice?" the sheriff asks.

"I uhh…" Claire says until Jackie cuts her off saying "It wasn't her, it was me. I was taking a shortcut home from school and I saw the wreckage of the train wreck and I just had to help."

"Why didn't you say something?" The principal asks.  
"I just didn't want the attention you know? It's not why I did it."

"Well on behalf of the Odessa fire department I'd like to congratulate you as an honorary firefighter." The fireman says shaking Jackie's hand making the other Cheerleaders cheer happily other than Claire who goes over to the Sheriff asking, "How is he?"  
"Who?" The Sheriff asks.

"The man Jackie pulled out of the train." Claire replies.

"He's got some pretty bad burns, smoke damaged his lungs but he's alive and happy to be so." The Sheriff informs her.

"Thanks to Jackie." Claire says grinning to herself.

* * *

|moments later – football practice|

Claire is walking across the field with Zach and Stephen following her.

"Claire I'm glad I finally got you alone, we have to talk." Zach tells her once he and Stephen catch up to her.

"Did you hear they asked Jackie to be the grand marshal at the pioneer parade? They are gonna put her on top of the firetruck." Claire says upset.

"It's about the videotape." Zach tells her.

"The tape where you kill yourself like 20 times." Zach tells her riled up.

"Oh yeah, can we just keep it under wraps?" Claire asks.

"That's what I'm trying to tell you it was in my bag pack and now it's not." Zach tells her, turning her to face him.

"What?" Claire asks shocked, looking at Stephen.

"I didn't do it, not like I have a tape player." Stephen tells her holding his hands up innocently.

"What do you mean it's gone?" Claire asks Zach annoyed until Stephen sees the football player she was flirting with earlier come running at them madly and about to tackle Claire. Stephen steps in front of her and braces himself by making a telekinetic wall in front of him, not that anyone could see it and the player runs against it, falling over while looking like Stephen knocked him down.

"Dude watch where you're going." Stephen tells the player who is sitting up, groaning.

"We've got to find that tape." Claire tells Zach and Stephen before she runs over to the other Cheerleaders cheering loudly.

"I really don't mind getting dragged in this but her being polite about it would be nice for a change." Stephen tells Zach as they walk off the field.

"Like that is ever gonna happen." Zach sighs.

"You're welcome by the way." Stephen tells Claire telepathically.

"Seriously? Thanks for blocking him for me but are you gonna talk to me in my head the whole time now?" Claire thinks assuming he'll hear her.

"Who knows, could be fun." Stephen tells her.

"Come on, I need to focus, please get out of my head." Claire begs him.

"Well since you asked so nice I'm gonna comply." Stephen tells her, turning around to smirk at her getting a mock glare in return.

* * *

|after school|

"So again, what the hell do you mean it's gone?" Claire asks Zach.

"Well I looked everywhere, at home, at school in my locker in my bag nothing. It's like it just vanished." Zach replies.

"Well it better reappears soon, or I'll have someone's head on a platter." Claire hisses annoyed at him.

"I really can't deal with this too." Claire whines annoyed.

"Why make a tape in the first place if it's just a burden to you?" Stephen asks.

"Well I didn't think Zach would lose it." Claire replies.

"OK that's his bad, anyway I can help look for it?" Stephen asks the two of them.

"No, I've already retraced my steps twice, someone must have found it." Zach tells him offended.

"Alright well it's getting late I think we should all head home and deal with it tomorrow." Stephen suggests.

"OK." Claire grumbles.

"I'll check at home again, I'll tell you if I find it." Zach says and swings on his bike, taking off.

"So, am I gonna meet your parents today?" Stephen asks her as they start walking towards her house.

"Who said we were gonna walk home together? Plus isn't your house like across town?" Claire asks.

"Yes, but I think you're forgetting a T. teleportation. And I've just decided to tag along since you are obviously not very observant I mean almost getting steamrolled by a football player in full gear, how did you not see him?" Stephen asks amused.

"Well sorry for not paying attention because I just heard that my life as I know it is going to end." Claire replies sarcastically, annoyed at him for teasing her.

"Oh, come on, I'm just trying to help. I think we should stick together, I was part of a super human society back in my dimension we were called the tomorrow people because we were the next evolutionary step, it's really beneficial having friends you can trust and talk to openly." Stephen tells her.

"Alright, just cut it out with the constant jokes OK?" Claire replies.

"Deal, just one more question. What's up with you and Mr. gentle hands?" Stephen asks curiously.

"What's it to you?" Claire asks back.

"Nothing just looking out for my friend, he seems like the do them and dump them type, if you want I could sneak a peek in that dirty little mind of his." Stephen offers.

"No, just let me have this one normal thing OK?" Claire tells him.

"Alright but if you need help I'm here." Stephen agrees.

"Come on I'll teleport you the rest of the way, this is taking to long and I have a shift to cover." Stephen tells her, grabbing her shoulder before they reappear outside her house.

"See you tomorrow Claire." Stephen tells her and gets in a running position, only taking one step before he vanishes.

Claire shakes her head at her new friend before she opens her door.

"Claire-bear." Noah Bennet greets her happily, closing the laptop he was watching something on quickly.

"Hi dad." Claire greets him back.

"How was school?" Noah asks.

"Very school like, how was work?" Claire replies.

"Very work like. Listen I made a couple of calls and I spoke to a very nice woman at the adoption agency, she said she'll get in touch with your birth parents and request a meeting." Noah tells her.

"I thought that was an adult decision?" Claire asks surprised.

"Well you seemed very adult this morning when you told me that you wanted to meet them." Noah replies.

"Thanks." Claire says.

"It's a process so it could take weeks. I'm hoping years, so you will be my little girl a while longer and I can protect you from the world." Noah tells her.

"I won't be a little girl forever though, but I'll always love you dad." Claire tells him.

"I love you too and now get ready for dinner." Noah tells her.

* * *

|the next morning|

Noah is taking Claire to school today since she needs to transport a piñata like replica of the school's mascot, which is a bear in a football uniform.

"So, if our team wins there will be celebratory bonfire where I need to be present, so I might be around midnightish." Claire tells her father who is helping her carry the mascot out of the trunk.

"On a school night?" Noah asks doubtfully.

"A celebratory school night." Claire replies staring at the football player she's been flirting with yesterday who smiles back at her.

"So, is that the quarterback?" Noah asks knowingly.

"Who?" Claire questions.

"The boy that you like over there." Noah says.

"I don't like him, I mean he's a very nice boy but… Yes, he's the quarterback." Claire tells him with a sigh.

"If you really wanted to make me happy you would date nerds, it worked out very well for your mother." Noah says.

"I love your glasses Mr. Bennet." Jackie says seeing him approach with Claire.

"Thank you, Jackie rumor has it you're a local hero and pulled a man out of a burning train fire." Noah praises her.

"You heard about that? OMG does everybody know?" Jackie asks.

"It was on the news you told half the school to set their TVos." Claire says unamused.

"Well for once I'm glad I don't have one of these." Stephen exclaims arriving at the group, making Claire chuckle.

"Nice to meet you, you must be Mr. Bennet. I'm Stephen." Stephen says offering his hand to Claire's father.

"Yes, nice to meet you too. Do you know my daughter? You look a bit older." Noah replies curiously while shaking his hand.

"As a matter of fact, I am but I have amnesia and can't remember much from before 3 months ago, so they decided to put me in a grade lower than I should be. And I've recently met Claire through my buddy Zach." Stephen says.

"Oh, I'm sorry, having amnesia at such a young age must be hard." Noah tells him.

"Not really the only thing that sucks is that I don't know if I have family out there somewhere." Stephen replies.

"Well I have to go, you be careful Claire-bear." Noah tells his daughter before he leaves, handing Stephen the lower part of the mascot while Jackie already left to chat with the other Cheerleaders.

"So what is this thing supposed to be?" Stephen asks helping Claire carry it to her locker.

"It's the school's mascot have you been sleeping the whole 3 months you were here?" Claire asks jokingly.

"Hey, I have other things on my mind." Stephen tells her pouting.

"Oh yeah like what? How am I gonna get a girlfriend?" Claire taunts.

"Hey, I'll have you know back home I had a girlfriend. Plus, I'd only consider dating one girl at this school." Stephen tells her defensively.

"Please don't tell me it's Jackie." Claire says whining.

"It's not Jackie, but you know her quite well." Stephen replies.

"Really? Amanda, Cloe?" Claire asks intrigued as Stephen leaves only for him to tell her 'just look in the mirror' Telepathically, making her stop what she's doing, shocked that he likes her.

"Nah, he's just screwing with me again." Claire tells herself.

"Who is?" Zach asks arriving at school.

"Stephen." Claire replies.

"Really? Never mind what are you doing running off to an away game while your tape of attempts of bodily harm is still missing." He asks her.

"Yeah well when someone finds it we'll just tell them you did some kind of visual effect with your computer on it, now can I get back to my life?" Claire tells him.

"So that's it you're just gonna pump your pom-poms like you're any other girl on the squad?" He asks confused.

"Yes actually." Claire says.

"But you are different Claire, don't you see that none of this matters? School spirit doesn't matter, being a pretty blonde Cheerleader doesn't matter, it's not who you are anymore." Zach tells her.

"Who am I? So what if I can crawl through a woodchipper and life to tell about it, that narrows my choices in life to freak or Guinea pig, in most cases both. What's wrong with wanting to be normal? You should try it." Claire rants walking off as the bell rings.

* * *

|that evening|

After a successful game everyone is having a bonfire party.

Claire is standing in front of the Bonfire, watching the bear mascot nailed to the fire start to burn while Jackie is telling a bogus story about how she saved the man from the fire to the other Cheerleaders as Brody, the quarterback Claire is crushing on approaches Claire.

"what's the stuffing?" He asks her, looking at the bear.

"I used old newspapers." Claire tells him.

"I would have used some firecrackers, but this works too." He tells her grinning.

"That would have been cool." Claire says.

"Don't stand so close or you'll light up like that guy." Brody warns her, pulling her a step back.

"I'm not as flammable as you think." Claire tells him.

"Are you sure this is OK?" Claire asks him as he hands her a beer.

"We're 30 miles from home, who is gonna know? Jackie told me you wanted to meet your real mom and dad." Brody asks.

"I told Jackie that in confidence." Claire says.

"You do realize you told it to Jackie right? Anyway, so you're not so bummed, my goal tonight is to make you laugh." Brody tells her when firecrackers explode in the stuffed bear behind them.

"Hah, did you put firecrackers in the bear just for me?" Claire asks laughing until Brody kisses her and pulls her away form the crowd to the bleachers.

'Hey how's it going over there, did you win?' she suddenly hears Stephen's voice in her mind.

'leave me alone, I'm having an enjoyable evening with Brody, don't ruin it for me.' She thinks, knowing he'll hear her as Brody starts to make out with her on the bleachers.

Brody tries to slide her skirt up, but Claire stops him telling him "Let's just take a break, I'm going through something and I don't know if now it is the right time."

Brody turns her around, so she faces him and tells her "Know what you need to relax." Before he starts to kiss her roughly.

"What's gotten into you?" Claire asks trying to push him away but he's stronger than her and pusher her down.

"I just really like you Claire." He tells her lying down on her.

"No stop." Claire tells him and tires to push him off but is has no affect due to his bigger size and he pushes her off the bleachers and starts to grab at her clothes, tryin to get them off while she yells at him to stop. Stephen who was going to ask her something telepathically hears her and teleports over to where she is, arriving just as she kicks Brody off her but he runs after her, throwing her against a fence and making her fall on a up sticking branch, impaling her skull, causing her to lie on the ground lifeless as Brody tries to see what's wrong until he sees the branch impaled in her skull. He then tries to leave but Stephen enraged by this uses his telekinesis to throw him violently against the bleachers, before walking over to him and then start to beat the guy within an inch of his life, shattering his kneecap and breaking an arm in the process, until he hears the familiar ringing in his head preventing him from killing anyone.

* * *

Stephen goes over to Claire, picking her up gently and teleports to his home.

"I hope she can heal from this." Stephen says panicking and pulls out the branch sticking out of her head. As soon as the branch is removed the hole starts to close up and Claire wakes up coughing violently.

"Here, everything is OK." Stephen tells her, handing her a glass of water.

"Wha? Where am I, what happened?" Claire asks looking around the sparse apartment Stephen is renting.

"You're at my place, Brody won't get you here, or anyone for a while for that matter." Stephen tells her brushing her hair gently, trying to calm her down.

"What happened? The last thing I remember is kicking Brody off me as he was trying to rape me and then nothing." Claire asks scared.

"You fell when he followed you and impaled yourself on this." Stephen tells her handing her the branch.

"What about Brody?" Claire asks.  
"I took care of him, he'll live but I don't think he'll be playing football ever again." Stephen tells her.

"Thanks, I guess, how did you know I needed help?" Claire asks.

"I heard you when I tried to talk to you." Stephen answers tapping the side of her head.

"So now what?" Claire asks sitting up, checking if anything else is damaged other than her clothing.

"Now you can use my shower and put on some new clothes before I bring you home and we'll talk to your dad about filing a police report." Stephen tells her, getting some clothes out of a drawer.

"Thanks, and I guess you were right about Brody." Claire tells him as she walks to where Stephen told her the shower is.

"Yeah, it's not actually making me happy since this happened." Stephen tells her before she vanishes in the bathroom.

15 minutes later Claire comes out of the bathroom, the clothes Stephen gave her hanging form her far smaller physique making him chuckle before he catches her glare, making him shut up.

* * *

He then teleports them in front of her house, where they approach the door, knocking and not long after Noah Bennet opens the door and freaks seeing Claire's current state and moves to attack Stephen but Claire stops him yelling "Stop daddy, Stephen didn't do anything, he saved me."

"Sorry then, I'm sure you can imagine what this looks like to me." Noah apologizes before he ushers Claire in, still weary of the boy with her and closes the door behind them once their inside.

"So, what happened? You look terrible honey." Noah tells her.

"Well you were right about Brody, he tried to rape me at the bonfire party, but Stephen stopped him before he could do anything." Claire tells him in tears.

"Thank you so much for keeping my daughter save." He thanks Stephen, only getting a nod in return.

"And for this Brody character, don't worry I'll deal with him." Noah tells her darkly.

"Stephen actually did that, we only need to report him to the police." Claire informs her father.

"Did you make him suffer for touching my little girl?" Noah asks the teen.

"Well he won't be doing anything any time soon and a football career should be impossible for him now." Stephen tells him.

"Good." Noah says.

"Now come on Claire, lets get you to bed. Wait here please, I'd like a word." Noah says turning to Stephen at the second part.

He then brings Claire to her room, where he tucks her in and tells her that everything is going to be OK.

"So how did you find my little girl?" Noah asks curiously.

"I was with her at the party and went looking for her after I got us something to drink, when I heard her yell for help." Stephen half lied.

"Well thank you again, I don't know what I would have done if something happened to my little angel." Noah says shaking his hand thankfully.

"So, what about this Brody?" Noah then asks.

"He's lying on the bleachers with a broken knee, arm and last I saw him he was unconscious with a few teeth missing." Stephen replies.

"He can be glad I wasn't there, or he'd be 6 feet under by now." Noah says darkly.

"OK, well good to see you again to bad it's under such terrible circumstances. Tell Claire she can keep the clothes and I guess I'll see you around. By the way if you need me for the police report just tell me when and where." Stephen tells him before he leaves the house and walks down the street a bit before teleporting back to his apartment.

Once he's home he gets dressed for bed and lies down on it before he telepathically tires to reach Claire 'Claire are you awake?'

'Yes.' She answers.

'If you need anything just tell me. I could erase the memory for you for example.' Stephen offers.  
'Thanks but I think I need to remember this, so I won't be as trusting the next time.' Claire replies.

'Alright, well good night.' Stephen says.

'Wait, I have one question, I couldn't shake what you told me at the lockers earlier. Do you really have a crush on me?' Claire asks him.

'What do you think? It's not like I just teleport around helping everyone I meet.' Stephen tells her.

'Alright, I just wanted to know, good night.' Claire tells him with a small smile on her face.

'Hey seriously, you're just gonna leave me hanging like that? Not cool.' Stephen complains but upon getting no reply he caves telling her 'Good night Claire.' Before turning off his lamp and trying to get some sleep himself.


End file.
